Question 1

What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

Kevin VanHook · Accepted Answer

“Be conscious of your health and don’t let people take advantage of you. There are shops that have mandatory crunch times, and it’s always crunch time. Avoid those — it will exhaust you. If you focus for eight hours intently, it’s extremely draining. After that, it’s diminishing returns.”

Question 2

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

Kevin VanHook · Accepted Answer

“Don’t be difficult to work with; life’s too short to work with challenging people. The industry just wants to populate itself with good people.”

Question 3

What is the question people should ask about this career but rarely do?

Kevin VanHook · Accepted Answer

“‘Is it okay to say no?’ The reason being, there are shops that are really known as sweatshops and they’ll ask you to work 18-20 hour shifts, multiple times a week. No one’s health is worth it. You will burn out. You have the right to say no.”

Question 4

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

Kevin VanHook · Accepted Answer

“Tenacity.”

Question 5

What does a Visual Effects Supervisor do?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

A Visual Effects Supervisor oversees all VFX needs for a production. For this reason, they often onboard a project during pre-production. They will provide their expertise on how to best execute the shots that will require visual effects and stay on through post-production to ensure that those shots are completed as needed.

Question 6

What is most important for Visual Effects Supervisors?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

Visual Effects Supervisors must have a comprehensive understanding of both cinematography and computer imagery and effects. Often, they will start off their careers in post-productions as VFX artists and work their way up to overseeing the entire VFX needs for a project.

Question 7

How much does a VFX Supervisor get paid?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a VFX Supervisor is just under $80,000. This figure can change according to any number of factors. For instance, someone working on a film with a high volume of visual effects, such as a superhero movie, will likely be paid more because of the demands of the job. Individuals who book these types of gigs generally have more expertise, which can also increase their salary. Shorter or lesser demanding jobs, though, may allow VFX Supervisors to work more gigs in a given year. A higher volume of work in a given year can also increase their overall salary even if each individual one pays modestly.

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Visual Effects Supervisor